In Our Languages – Kawaiisu

A story as told by Kawaiisu Elder Lucille Girado-Hicks, February 2015

 

We used to go over that way to the ranch to pick gooseberries.

Tama uusuusa aweenakwenüm ranchiva’an. Chehenüma pohoopita.

 

In the summer we could find lots of berries.

Su’ura tazava’ana müts owot mehenüm poho’apita.

 

So we went there one afternoon when I was just a girl.

Suvois aweena hugariikwenaaka nü’ü neezhagai.

 

We arrive and I put our food up in the trees.

Tam pidenüma nü’ü wüzadiik ka’apita aween aween masubva’ana.

 

I ask my brother, “Can the bears reach this here?”

Nü’ü tüvaadadiin pavina, “Su’ura aa pogita ku’uvaadiik iva’ana?”

 

He says no

Meeneen, “Yuwaata.”

 

and so we walk out towards the hill

Tama pagivaada aween keevova’ana.

 

where we had seen the berries before.

Tama chehenüüma aa pohoopita uusuusa.

 

We used to gather a lot so my mom could make jam.

Tama tsehenüma owota suvoisa piyeena su’un manhagivaad jam.

 

I find the first gooseberries.

Nü’ü meheeda pohopit uusuus.

 

I yell, “Brother, come over this way!”

Nü’ü pezeeda, “Paviina! Pidevaanaam iva’ana.”

 

We pick berries all day.

Tam tsehevaad pohoopit sutaava.

 

The buckets were getting heavy.

Su’ura pabüna müüts pita’akweneeka.

 

The sun gets low so we decide to go home.

Su’ura aa tava müüts aweenkweneek, yu’ukweeneek su’ura. Tam paikweevaanüm uusa.

 

We had eaten some berries

Tama ka’akweda su’ur pohoopita.

 

but we wanted that food we put up in that tree.

Tama ka’apita ku’usübügüd tama wüzavaadiik kapaan mosüba.

 

We get back to the tree.

Tama aween tam pidagwenüm masabva’an.

 

The food is gone!

Ka’apita su’ur yuwaata!

 

The bears had found it and pulled it down.

Pogüta mehediika. Su’un chehediika wi’ikikweneeka.

 

All we find is rags from our gunnysack.

Suvois tama tsü’ütsüüv ku’unuma mehediik tsü’ütsüüva kapaana kunavüz.

 

So we start to get nervous.

Tama tama uusa aa ivaagakwedüm.

 

I look at my brother.

Nü’ü unaro pukeenüne pavüne.

 

He looks at me.

Su’un pukeed nugaro.

 

We listen.

Tam naakeda.

 

We grabbed our buckets

Tama ku’ukwediik pabüna.

 

and rushed out of there.

Nükakwenüm aweena.

 

We hear something walking behind us.

Tama naakediika hini’iv pagineen kahambaav.

 

Leaves are crunching.

Nagave manineeka.

 

Sticks are breaking.

Kukupita kukupita kapakakweneeka.

 

We walk faster and faster with our buckets.

Tama ohoo paginüm su’uvois ukawe’e pabünhüma.

 

Our arms are shaking.

Tum puruvüna müüts tsününü’ükweneeka.

 

Just when we are about to drop our berries and run,

Suuvois suuvoisa maro’kweeneeka pohoopageepa nukakwenüma.

 

we see the road.

Tam pukeediik toov.

 

There is our dad in the car, out looking for us.

Su’ura muwün atamabiil pukeedün. Pukeed toor tawa?

 

We jump in

Suvois tama yo’ichikünün kapaan.

 

and look back.

Suvoisa kahambaav pukeenüma.

 

There was a hungry old mule following us

Shuvoisha müüts tagui’neen muula’a kahambaav pagineen.

 

and looking sad.

Suvois müüts tahaas pukeeneen.

 

We never told our dad about the bear.

Tama yuwaahan hine’enün unaro muwün unava’an pogüta.

 

We didn’t want to be cooped up in the house all summer.

Yuwaat sutuuv karüvaanün kapaana kanhi suutaazi.

 

Uusa.

The end.